Music-leaf turner.



Patented Dec. l9, I899.

G. A. ROBBINS. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

(Application filed Mar. 31, 18 99.)

2 She etsSheet I.

(No Model.)

N0. 639,6l3. Patented Dec. 19, i899.

. G. A. ROBBINS.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

(Application filed Mar. 31, 1899.) WI 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 4

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UNITED STATES GEORGE A. ROBBINS, OF SLATE HILL,

NElV YORK, ASSIGNORv OF ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES H. lVOOD, OF SAME PLACE.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,618, dated December 19, 1899.

Application filed March 31, 1899. Serial No. 711,202. (No model.) I

To all whom it DUI/y concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen A. Rosinns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Slate Hill, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in KO music-leaf turners. The objects are a device for turning leaves of music on the performers striking a keyed lever, in which these keyed levers will not be bent out of shape nor be thrown out of gear with the spring-fingers for grasping the leaves through even severe use,

and in which the operative mechanism is simple, compact, and easily housed to protect it from misuse. These objects are attained by the means described in the annexed speciii- 2o cation, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a music-leaf turner embodying my invention, an intermediate part of the rack being cut out and the severed parts being brought together to economize space. Fig. 2 is an invert-ed plan View of the same, the housing being shown in cross-section so as to expose the operative mechanism. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same with the housing removed, parts being broken out, as in Fig. 1. Fig. l is a vertical sectional detail view taken on line 0: a; of Fig. 3, with the housing in position. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the operative mechanism taken on lineyy of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail View of one of the spring-fingers for grasping the leaves.

Referring to the parts, which are indicated by'similar reference letters wherever they 40 occur throughout the various views, the foundation board or rackA has spring-clamps 13 secured to its back and curved in underits lower edge to engage the music-rack of a piano, organ, or stand. Upon the face of the rack A are ledges a a, which support sheets of music, which are held upon the rack by the rod ta This rod at its lower end is pivoted at a to a post a which passes through a perforation in the rack A and is secured to asprin g a fastened upon the back of the rack.

At its upper end the rod may be passed be neath a hook a which also passes through a perforation in the rack and is secured to a spring a upon the back. Should the sheets be greater in width when open than the rack, a wider support may be given them by pulling out the sliding rods a which are removably held in horizontal bores in both sides of the rack by springs a which are secured upon the back of the rack, which is slotted to allow them to press upon the rods.

The mechanism for turi'iing the sheets is as follows: To the rear wall of the rackA is secured a lug-plate D, which has lugs d (1 projecting forward through a rectangular hole a in the rack. Upon a journal-pin e secured between these lugs are journaled toothed pinions 6, formed integral with which are sockets 6 into which are fitted arms ciupon the outer ends of which are secured spring-fingers E, which grasp the leaves of music. The lugplate D has also lugs (Z (Z' projecting rearwardly, which are perforated to pass a journal-pin f, upon which are journaled an exterior, an intermediate, and an interior tnbular shaft f, f, and f, respectively, to the lower ends of which are secured toothed pinions fflf, and f, respectively, and to the upper ends of which are secured rack-segmentsf, f andf, respectively, which mesh through a rectangular hole (1 in the lug-plate with the toothed pinions 6.

Each of the toothed pinions fflf, and f meshes upon one side with rack-segments g,

g, and which respectively terminate the levers G, G, and G and upon the diametrically opposite side with rack-segments 9 g, and 9 which respectively terminate the levers G, G, and G. The first set of levers are curved at g g and g to pass through slots in the rack A and terminate upon the opposite side of the rack in keys 9. They are pivoted between lugs (Z upon the lug-plate D, being held apart by washers (Z The second set of levers are of the same construction as the first.

The operating mechanism is protected by a rectangular box or housing H, which is secured over it to the back of the rack A.

In operation one of each of the leaves to be I00 turned is placed in one of the grasping-ii ngers, which in the beginning would occupy the position shown in the figures. 'When it is de sired to turn the first leaf, which is held by the uppermost of the fingers E, Fig. 1, lever G5 is pressed inwardly, which rotates pinion f and the rack-segmentj which in turn rotates the uppermost of the pinions c, 1'otat ing its arm 0 and thereby turning the leaf. This leaves the lever G depressed and lever G2 raised. Should it be desired to turn the leaf back again, this is accomplished by depressing lever G The turning of the second leaf is accomplished by depressing lever and its returning by depressing lever G, and so on for other leaves.

I have shown three grasping-fingers, with their operating mechanism; butitis obvious that the device could be made with more or less and that many mere mechanical changes might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

lVhat I claim is" 1. In a music-leaf turner the combination of the rack or foundation-board slotted at its lower end, the rod for holding the sheets upon the rack, the lugplate secured upon the back of the rack having forwardly-projecting lugs furnishing bearings for toothed pinions and rearwardly-projecting lugs furnishing bearings for tubular shafts, said pinions carrying arms terminating in grasping-fingers, the levers pivoted at the back of the rack and curved forward through the slots therein, and said shafts having at their upper ends rackegments meshing with said pinions and at their lower ends toothed pinions meshing with said levers, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a musicleaf turner the combination of the rack or foundation board having ledges to support sheets of music thereon, horizontal slots symmetrically placed near its lower corners and a hole below said ledges, a rod for holding the sheets to the rack, toothed pinions secured to horizontal arms carrying grasping-lingers and jonrnaled between the sides of the hole, horizontal levers pivoted upon the back of the rack extending through said slots and terminating in front in keys and in back in rack-segments, tubular shafts on a common journal secured to the back of the rack terminating at their lower ends in pinions meshing with said rack-segments and at their upper ends in rack-segments meshing with said armearrying pinions, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a music-leaf turner the combination of the rack slotted at the lower end and having a central hole beneath the ledge for supporting sheets of music, means for holding the sheet to the rack, a lug-plate secured to the back of the rack having a hole in it to register with the hole in the rack, lugs extending forward at the upper and lower edges of said hole rearwardly-extending lugs in vertical alinement with said lugs and a second set of rearwardly-extending lugs on each side of said lugs, pinions with arms carrying grasping-fingers for turning the leaves journaled between the forwardly-extending lugs, levers pivoted between the latter of the rcarwardlyextending lugs projecting through the slots in the rack and terminating in keys, tubular shafts one within the other journaled between the former of the rearwardly-extending lugs in gear at their upper ends with said. pinions and at their lower with said levers, substantially as shown and described.

4t. In a music-leaf turner the combination of the rack with horizontal slots at the lower edge and a ledge for supporting sheets of music, a rod pivoted at its lower end to a post fastened to a spring upon the back of the rack, the spring-pressed hook for engaging the rod at its upper end, the horizontal arms below the ledge terminating in grasping-fingers for turning the leaves, the horizontal levers pivoted to the back of the rack and extending forward through slots therein, and means for coupling said levers and said arms, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a music-leaf turner the combination of the rack, the ledge for supporting sheetmusic thereon, the toothed pinions journaled on the front of the rack, below said ledge, the horizontally-rotating arms secured to said pinions carrying grasging-iingers at their outer ends for grasping the sheets of music, pinions journaled upon the back of the rack in mesh with the pinions upon the front there of, and the levers fulerumed upon the back of the rack in mesh with the pinions upon the back curved forward through slots in the rack and terminating in keys, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE A. ROBBINS.

Witnesses:

Jot-IN L. Wrccnvs, JOHN Wreoms. 

